Arts & Entertainment

Miniseries Based On Upstate Prison Escape To Premiere [WATCH]

Two prisoners aided by a prison employee and a correction officer escaped in 2015 from Clinton Correctional Facility.

In June 2015, two prisoners escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemore, Clinton County, in upstate New York. In the wake of the escape, one of the prisoners was shot and killed, the other prisoner was shot and taken into custody, a prison employee and a correction officer were arrested for helping them.

If all that sounds like the stuff the television miniseries are made, you would be right.

Beginning Sunday, Nov. 18, Showtime will premiere "Escape at Dannemora," which is based on the true story of the prison break that spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers.

Find out what's happening in Mid Hudson Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

It stars Benicio del Toro as Richard Matt, Paul Dano as David Sweat and Patricia Arquette as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell.

Emmy-winner Ben Stiller executive produced and directed all episodes.

Find out what's happening in Mid Hudson Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Mitchell helped Matt and Sweat escape by giving a correction officer frozen meat that had tools hidden in it. The officer did not put it through a metal detector, which was against prison policy.

The officer also escorted the two prisoners behind their cells onto a catwalk to fix electrical breaker so the prisoners could cook food in their cells, which the prison allowed them to do.

The catwalks were used by the prisoners in their escape.

Mitchell, who has been serving time at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, has been denied parole twice after being sentenced to a maximum of seven years in September 2015.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Mid Hudson Valley